Tarnished Gold
by Miss Melly Wilkes
Summary: Three young kings and queens, locked away…a possessed older brother, infatuated with the captor…a vengeful enemy may be the death of them all. Golden Age.
1. Prologue

**Summary: **Three young kings and queens, locked away…a possessed older brother, infatuated with the captor…a vengeful enemy may be the death of them all.

**Tarnished Gold**

It has been requested of me by my beloved monarchs to record this tragic tale and archive it in Cair Paravel's great library. It brings me no pleasure to do so, but their wishes are my command, are they not, good my reader?

And so, it is with a heavy heart that I will begin to copy from the memorandum journals that the Gentle kept during their imprisonment. First I write this prologue of sorts, as High King Peter stands at my side and instructs me of what I will say.

'It is with bitter shame and tears, with sour gall and a great deal of self-disgust and resentment, that I put to our head archivist the heinous task of recording our tale. Let it be known that I, High King Peter, do confess to the most horrific treatment of my royal brother and sisters, and while I was not aware of my actions, I, High King Peter, will never allow myself to be forgiven.

I will pray to the Lion that those people who should will hurt when they read what my Gentle sister has to say. Certainly I hope that he, in his infinite goodness and mercy, will see that this story is kept well known, and will keep sharp the knife that I do hope to wield.'

**Signed,**

_Cicero, Cair Paravel archivist_

**Signed,**

_High King Peter the Magnificent_

[A/N] Anyone interested in me continuing?

Those of you who have read Go Where No One Can Hear Me so far may recognize Cicero's name….small spoiler of where he ended up.:)


	2. Ambrosine

**[A/N] Remember, this will be in Susan's point of view. Her journal. Keep in mind it's not as if we're reading Cicero copying it, but like a normal story. We'll go back to Cicero's copying in the last chapter. **

**The Narnian Calendar belongs to Elecktrum and she has agreed to let me use it for my story. (This story definitely ties into **_**When It Rains**_**.) If you haven't read her stories, you should definitely go do so.**

**Chapter 1**

**Ambrosine**

"_When I was young, it seemed that life was wonderful,_

_A miracle, oh, it was beautiful, magical."_

_ ~ Supertramp._

**13 Sunbend 1006**

Only that morning, I remember sitting in the hot sunshine and reading a book while I sat at Peter's side. He was fast asleep minutes before Ambrosine came and….performed the horrible deeds which would lead to our imprisonment.

It was only that morning, a mere matter of hours before our lives would become a living nightmare. In the aftermath of the battle, I hardly remembered anything besides _her._

She swept out of the woods, her creatures scampering past her to attack our soldiers, to end their lives, lives spent defending us in vain. I remember she grabbed me by the arm, hauled me to my feet. My book fell from my hand into the grass, and she stepped on it.

Looking into her face, I thought she was cold, and beautiful. No, not quite cold, perhaps, but …burning, blazing in a way opposite what Jadis had.

Ambrosine was a tall woman, of perhaps six feet, with pale skin and silvery hair that fell in waves to her waste. Her eyes were a blazing blue-grey color, boring into my own with cold contempt and hatred.

She looked from me to Peter, now on his feet, with Rhindon held tightly in his hand. He brandished the sword at her, his face set in his warrior grimace.

"And so this is Narnia's High King and Queen. The supposed golden monarchs." Her eyes moved slowly over the pair of us, before she shook her head, fire quelled by curiosity for the moment. "It truly is a pity… And where are the younger two, the Just and the Valiant?"

Peter lunged at her then, and surely his blade would have struck true, killing the monster then and there…had she not been stronger.

"_No_, Peter!" I screamed, but it was too late.

In an almost careless way, she dropped me to the ground so I fell onto my back, and seized hold of Peter's sword arm, twisting sharply and brutally.

I heard a snap. Peter cried out and Rhindon fell onto the ground.

"Rule number one," Ambrosine hissed, her face inches from his, eyes livid and now darkened to complete grey, "you will not disrespect me in such a manner again." She dropped him. "Pick up your sword and put it away. You won't be needing it for hours yet."

One of her creatures – a dark faun—came and took hold of me around the waist. I did not dare attempt to struggle. I could see most of our soldiers had perished in the fight and those who hadn't had run for help. I could only pray they would return in time.

And then there was a sharp pain to the back of my skull, and darkness.

~::~

When I awakened, several hours had passed. I lay on my back in a soft bed, and Peter's worried face swam over mine.

"Su…" he breathed. "Oh, Su, are you all right? I don't think you have a concussion, but they did hit you in the head. That faun Nigel carried you here."

"Where are we…?" I struggled to get my bearings, sitting upright. Lucy rushed over to hug me about the waist, crying. So they had found Edmund and Lucy.

"I don't know, exactly. I lost track of where we were going."

Edmund came over to the bed, patted Lucy's trembling shoulder lightly. "I did too, Su, but I know it's a small castle, about in the middle of nowhere. I don't think we're in Narnia anymore. We did pass through one village, but I didn't see anyone besides a frightened Dryad, and it wasn't one I've ever seen before." He was frowning. It had always disturbed my brother, not knowing where he was.

Just then, the door opened and Ambrosine stepped in. This time, her silver hair was pinned sternly back, not one hair out of place, and she wore a black gown that caused her skin to look even paler, her hair and eyes even more lovely.

"So the oldest queen is now awake." She did not even glance at me. We weren't sure, at the time, how she knew I was awake, but over time we did learn she saw everything that occurred within these walls. "I will now tell you the rules of my castle. These rules you _will_ follow, or be flogged. You are my prisoners to do with as I please, and," she smiled, "rest assured you will not see Cair Paravel again, false monarchs."

Turning to me, she stated, "It will be up to you, eldest girl, to make sure these two younger ones do not break even one rule." She glanced to Edmund and Lucy, assessing their ages. "You will make sure the little one does not shout or cry, or run about, pounding on the ceilings below. I will hear what she is doing, and I will see, and if she has done any of those things, I will beat her and you, and perhaps even the young boy."

Perhaps if I'd been paying attention, I would have noticed she paid no mind to Peter at all…did not even speak as if he would be in the room.

Now Ambrosine looked at Edmund, Lucy, and I altogether.

"You will receive food twice a day. As of right now, you will receive only what I feel generous enough to share with you, and perhaps if you are willing to behave and do as I say, you will receive something more." Her voice didn't change at all as she began listing her rules.

"You will never run and shout, as I have already said. There is a room that you will be permitted to play in, just down the hall, but you will never leave this wing of my castle. You are always to be fully dressed. For the two girls, you will always be in dresses and slippers that I will give you, and for the boy, you will always be in the tunic, pants, and boots that I give you. You are mine, to showcase as I please."

I didn't miss the frightened glance Edmund was giving Peter.

"You will never opened the draperies of any of the rooms in this wing, not even to look out, without permission. I will not risk your soldiers finding you. If you are caught opening them, you will be beaten and whipped as I see fit."

As she spoke, she smiled.

"You will not speak to me unless I have spoken to you first. This room and the boy's room shall be kept neat and orderly. The bed will be made. The rewards I dole out will never be scattered across the floor." She paused to let us know she was going on. "Know you will never be idle. For five hours of each day, you will do the work that I or my husband appoint to you. For two more, you will study works on my deceased mistress Jadis, the former Queen of Narnia, and then – only then, will you have time to play.

When I enter this room, you will be silent and you will behave. You will not clench your hands into fists. You will not show silent defiance. And you will not allow your eyes to meet mine. If you attempt to gain my friendship or compassion, or your escape, you may know it is impossible. You are my prisoners and not things to be loved and cherished."

She finished with the rules then, and turned to the door, walking toward it slowly.

"When I leave this room, I will lock the door to the wing. You have the remainder of today to roam your confines and become resigned to your fate."

Then she turned back to us, and smiled. I learned to dread Ambrosine's smiles.

"Now the oldest boy will come with me." She beckoned to Peter.

"No!" Lucy cried, and grabbed his arm, clinging to him immediately.

Ambrosine only laughed, delight in her eyes.

"Oh, go on and resist, sweet Peter. But know if you do, I will whip not only you, but your two sisters and the youngest boy. Oh yes, I see the devotion with which you look at them. Know if you resist, they will beaten until blood runs down their backs and they cry for the mercy of death."

Staring at Peter, I could see he was considering resistance, but then, glancing down at Lucy, he exhaled slowly and pried her off his arm. He kissed her forehead, then Edmund's, and then came to me and kissed my cheek. Then, without a word, he went out the door Ambrosine held open.

"No!" Lucy sobbed. "Edmund, no, don't let her take Peter away. Please. Susan, I'm scared."

"Quiet the Valiant brat at once," snapped Ambrosine, and left.

The lock clicked into place with a horrific finality at the end of the hall.


	3. Break

**Chapter 2**

**I Won't Break**

_You're gone, gone, gone away  
I watched you disappear  
All that's left is the ghost of you.  
Now we're torn, torn, torn apart,  
There's nothing we can do. _~ Of Monsters and Men.

It was the next morning before we saw Peter again.

When he stepped into mine and Lucy's room, bringing a tray of food with him, he was unhurt, other than a dark purple bruise marring his left cheek, and a cut just under his eyebrow. Looking at him, I could see in his eyes that something was wrong. I just couldn't understand what.

"Peter!" Lucy cried, and jumped into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. He smiled and hugged her back in response.

"Hello, Lu."

"Are you okay?" She touched his face, the bruise, and frowned. "I do wish I had my cordial with me-"

"I'm perfectly fine," he said easily. "No need to worry about me. Anyway," he released her, "I've brought you two food. I left Edmund's in his room. He was still asleep."

"Ambrosine let you bring us food?" I couldn't keep the doubt out of my tone.

"Of course. Why wouldn't she?" The shadow of a frown touched his face as he took in my expression. "Oh, I see! Susan, you have the wrong idea about things here."

"Do I? Somehow I don't think so. Peter, she's going to kill us, you know she is."

He stared at me, eyes wide, and finally I saw what it was. His blue gaze was blank as the windows of an abandoned house. When he spoke again, I heard that his voice, too, was flat. There wasn't really a tone to it, no _Peter_ in his voice.

"Why would you think that, Susan? I don't understand. Ambrosine is going to treat us wonderfully."

"She is not," Lucy broke in, distressed. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's evil."

This time, there were emotions in his voice. He was passionate, admiring, even loving.

"Ambrosine is not _evil_. Why, she is the very opposite of evil – she's sweet and kind and cares for me so much. She's perfect, don't you see? If I could spend the rest of my days here, I'd be more than happy to."

It dawned on me then. She'd done something to him. That's why he wasn't hurt – he wasn't hurt physically, but mentally. He waspossessed, ruined.

The door opened and Ambrosine herself stepped in. To my disgust, Peter went to her like a dumb dog to his master, and he looked at her in the same way! In that moment, she was the only thing that existed to him.

"Where is your brother, Peter?" She put her hand out and stroked his hair gently, eyes shining with obvious lust. I shivered.

"He was still sleeping."

Then rage sparked in her eyes and she struck Peter across his face. "Go wake him up then, you stupid fool! They are never allowed to sleep past eighth hour!"

To me, the worst part of this moment was that Peter's expression did not change. He still had the lovestruck look of a devoted puppy, and he ran off immediately. I heard him ordering Edmund out of bed. A minute later, Edmund was in our room, and Peter pushed him onto his knees at Ambrosine's feet.

She looked down at Edmund and smiled a beautifully glittering smile, nasty as it was.

"I think…next time you dare to sleep as late as this shall be ten lashes."

Finally, something got through to Peter. His face drained of color, but he said nothing. Ambrosine looked at him then, sighed in a disgusted way, and touched his unbruised cheek.

"Peter, darling, you do trust me."

"I do trust you." His eyes were fixed on hers, pulled in completely.

"Peter, darling, you do know that I am unswervingly right."

"I do know that you are unswervingly right."

"Peter, darling, you will punish them as I see fit."

He hesitated. I rose and pulled Edmund away from them, leading him to sit with Lucy on her bed. Edmund was staring at Peter with a sick look.

"Peter."

"I…I…" he gazed at her, unable to say it. Long, slim fingers – that had no doubt been spattered with the blood of many before now – stroked his face. Soft hands drew his head down against her breasts, brushed through his hair.

"Peter, darling, you will punish them as I see fit." Her voice was anguished, but she was smiling widely, terribly. "Won't you?"

A sigh of defeat.

"I will punish them as you see fit."

"And now, Peter darling, you will sleep until you have my permission to wake up."

This time, the only response was a quiet snore. She dropped him carelessly to the floor.

"Sometimes he takes extra persuasion, when it comes to you little whelps." Amrbosine scowled at me. "I don't expect that will last long-"

Edmund rushed at her, snarling, a dagger (had he hidden it away?)raised in his hand.

Whirling, Ambrosine tore it from his grip and shoved him to the ground. "_You stupid child_!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. _"Sinners_, the lot of you, and demons on top of that! Killed my Queen, took her throne, probably partake in incest, all four of you! LITTLE MONSTERS! _Peter, WAKE UP_!"

His eyes opened and he leaped to his feet, rushing to her side. "My Lady-"

"Take him to the library at_ once_ and give him_ twenty_ lashes! I SHALL teach him to disrespect his mistress!"

Jumping up, Edmund tried to run –

Peter caught him by the back of his tunic, teeth bared in his warrior grimace. Determined, and holding the strength of the possessed, he dragged him down the hall.

Ambrosine turned to me and smiled an ugly smile. No false beauty this time, only an ugly, terrible hatred.

"You,_ Gentle_," she said, breathing harshly in heavy, quick pants. "You will come with me to the bathroom this instant and I shall give you _thirty_ lashes, for existing." She shot Lucy a nasty grin.

"No!" cried Lucy, running to me. "Susan, no!"

Ambrosine kicked her.

She kicked Lucy like one might kick a pesky mongrel, nipping at your ankles, and caused Lucy to fall to the ground, tears welling in her eyes.

I struggled, earning myself a hit to the back of the head.

"You will do as I say, you stupid child. Do not struggle."

She dragged me to the bathroom, slamming the door behind the two of us, and drew a whip from her weapons belt.


	4. Fail

**Chapter 3**

_Can nobody hear me?_

_I've got a lot that's on my mind_

_I cannot breathe_

_Can you hear it too? – _Imagine Dragons.

Two weeks into our imprisonment, I woke to the feeling of a wet cloth patting gently against my face. I opened her eyes to see Edmund.

"How bad is it?" I managed to murmur, my throat scratchy.

I remembered the feeling of the lash, the sharp stinging blows that rained down on my skin.

"It took me ages to stop the bleeding," Edmund muttered, taking the cloth away. "She did a number on you this time, Su."

"Did Peter hit you again?"

"No. Not this time. He just went back downstairs to wherever she's keeping him." There was no mistaking the anger in Edmund's voice – these days, after losing his best friend, no one was more bitter than him. "Su, look, I've been thinking about how to get out of this."

I sat upright, which created a rather dizzying effect. I ignored it. "What, Edmund?"

"I think if it's Peter coming in with the food, maybe we can talk him into sitting and talking with us. Then we hit him, knock him out -" Edmund's voice hitched – "And we run out the door."

"But what about Peter? We can't just leave him," Lucy piped up from the corner.

"I know. I will come back with a group of my soldiers and kill Ambrosine, then take Peter home." Edmund's tone was flat. "I've got it figured out. I also know that Peter will be in here with our food in a minute or so. Are we ready to do it now?"

"Yes." I pushed myself off the bed and went over to Lucy, sitting beside her.

Just then, the door opened and Peter walked in, carrying our dinner. His eyes flickered to each of us, greeting us all with a little smile. My heart broke anew. He truly had no idea what he was doing to us.

"Pete," Ed greeted him.

"Lady Ambrosine sent you all something special today," he said. His voice was toneless… there was nothing to make it _Peter_. "She sent you some cake with dinner. For good behavior."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, feeling nothing but disgust.

"That sounds good, Pete," Ed said, allowing a fake smile for him. "You'll thank her for us, won't you?"

"Of course I will-"

_BANG. _

Edmund lowered the heavy book as Peter slumped to the ground. Angry tears brimmed in his eyes. "I didn't want to have to do that to him, I didn't…"

"Come on, darling," I said softly, "we have to leave before _she_ comes."

He nodded, swiping at his eyes, and followed Lucy and I to the door. We made it all the way to the end of the hallway before she stopped us, waiting at the doorway.


	5. Monstrosity

**Chapter 4**

_It's scratching on the walls_

_In the closet, in the halls _

_It comes awake and I can't control it_

_Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head,_

_Why won't somebody come and save me from this_

_Make it end_ -Skillet.

The next few minutes were a rush of panic and frenzy that I did not remember. My memory of them was washed away in the terror that consumed me.

I remembered Edmund's voice shouting at me, "Go, go, GO!"

I remembered Ambrosine being shoved back against the wall, her shriek of outrage and Edmund's cry of pain a second later as I rushed past them.

I remembered running, my legs carrying me down the stairs and to the grand entrance of the house. Out the door I went, and to the great stables across the massive yard.

Most of all, I remembered that Lucy was not with me.

After that, everything blurred into a hopeless muddle.

* * *

If only I had not been the only one to escape.

If only Ambrosine had not been at the other end of the corridor.

If only we had been a few seconds faster.

If only Edmund had shoved Lucy out the door with me.

If only Peter was not possessed.

If only we had a better plan.

If any of those things had happened, I would not be alone right now, riding back to Cair Paravel to inform Oreius of all that had occured.

* * *

*Peter*

I gradually came back to consciousness. My cheek rested against something cool, hard, and somehow scratchy. It was quite uncomfortable, but still I remained there until all the black spots had cleared from my vision.

Slowly, I stood and turned around. I was in my sisters' room, and the door was ajar. What had happened? That door was supposed to be closed.

Then Ambrosine's tall, slender form filled the door, her icy eyes locking on me. She shoved first Edmund and then Lucy through the doorway. Edmund sprawled on the floor. Lucy stumbled to one of the beds. _No, I was supposed to be protecting them from her… I can't let her hurt them…_

_Where's Susan?_

Ambrosine's lips curved into a smile.

"Peter," she said.

_No!_

But my mind was hazy now. Soft colors were appearing where coherent thoughts had been previously. I fought against it.

"Peter."

And I try to control myself but –

Ambrosine's presence

takes me over.

My thoughts are replaced with

blazing red

white-hot pain.

I feel like I am turned inside out.

My brain is

exploding.

I choke and I still breathe.

make it end.

I feel myself moving over to my brother and I

raise the whip to strike him.

* * *

**[A/N] The disjointedness of the last part was not my idea. The words, yes. I've seen the format in several other stories and thought I could give it a try. **


End file.
